Like this:

Joe’s Red Mountain Market & Deli attracted a lot of long haul truckers back in the day. The store was about an hour and a half west of Albuquerque, right off Interstate 40.

These days, though, Joe felt lucky if half a dozen customers showed up on any day. A Love’s Travel recently opened on I-40 about 10 miles east, as did a Flying J Travel about 10 miles west, taking away most of his business.

Joe had little choice but to close the place. He locked the store’s door for the last time and walked away. Looking back, he sighed and thought, “progress?”

(104* words)

Written for the Friday Fictioneers prompt from Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Photo credit: Jean L. Hays. *Sorry, went over the word limit by four words.